“Only Murders In The Building” Season 3 Finale: A Predictable Disappointment
The third season of “Only Murders In The Building” concludes with its first and only C+ rating, leaving viewers underwhelmed. The finale episode, titled “Opening Night,” falls short of expectations, particularly for a murder mystery series. While it’s not necessarily a terrible installment overall, it can only be described as subpar at best. Its primary flaw lies in its predictability, rendering it uneventful for a murder mystery. The much-anticipated twists and turns are disappointingly absent until the last two minutes, setting the stage for a recently announced season four.
As expected, the episode reveals that the culprits behind superstar Ben Glenroy’s (Paul Rudd) murder are the mother-son producing duo, Donna (Linda Emond) and Cliff DeMeo (Wesley Taylor). This revelation comes as no surprise, given the season’s theme of familial sacrifices. Donna’s motive was to save their Broadway production, “Death Rattle,” from negative reviews by poisoning Ben’s cookie, although not lethally. She couldn’t bear to see her son’s venture fail, even though she gave birth to him during a work call. Instead of using her influence to fire Ben, she chose drastic measures.
Ben eventually discovers the truth from hospital reports and confronts Cliff, who realizes that his mother thinks he’s inadequate. In a struggle, Cliff inadvertently pushes Ben to his death at the Arconia. However, the suspense and excitement that should accompany such revelations are conspicuously absent, leaving the audience with a lackluster conclusion.
The episode’s predictability extends to the plan devised by Mabel (Selena Gomez), Oliver (Martin Short), and Charles (Steve Martin) to obtain Donna’s confession. Their ploy involves Mabel delivering a bouquet to Donna at the Gooseberry Theater, pretending to be from Maxine (Noma Dumezwemi) and inviting her to K.T.’s office. The trio plans to record Donna’s confession with Tobert (Jesse Williams) hidden as a coat rack, reminiscent of a Scooby-Doo-esque scheme. This approach lacks the theatrical flair seen in previous seasons, making it feel like an afterthought.
“Opening Night” does live up to its title, with the grand opening of “Death Rattle Dazzle” featuring memorable moments. Matthew Broderick’s presence adds charm, bonding with Arconia resident Uma (Jackie Hoffman) over Oliver’s work. Oliver himself makes an unexpected acting/singing/dancing debut, filling in for Ben’s drugged-up understudy. He shares the stage with Loretta (Meryl Streep), who plays a pivotal role in delivering evidence to the trio.
Despite its shortcomings, the performances in the episode remain impeccable, with Gomez, Short, and Martin forming a stellar ensemble. The addition of Streep, Rudd, and Creighton enriches the season’s star-studded cast. While the ending may have left viewers wanting more, “Only Murders In The Building” has already announced a fourth season, leaving fans eager to see where the story goes from here.
In the end, “Opening Night” may not have lived up to the high standards set by the series, but it still delivered moments of entertainment. As the characters face new challenges and mysteries, the anticipation for the next season remains high.
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